Improvement in means for preventing the shifting of loose cargoes



n. llUiNTA-VALLE. Means for Preventing th'e Shifting cf looser Cargnes.

Patented March 3. i874.

.IEI i n IE! 4 lil' Miami-11217001701110 cow. X/asaa/Mlliruacssy ROBERT QUINTAVALLE, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO REMIGIO LO FORTE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE SHIFTING OF LOOSE CARGOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. EQBJM}, dated March 3, 1874 application filed February 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT QUINIAVALLE, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and 1111 proved Apparatus for Preventing the Shift ing of Grain and Seed Gargoes in Vessels, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a ship provided with my improvement, and showing the hinged blades suspended into the hold. Fig. 2 is a face view of part of one hinged blade. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the ships deck and blades, showing the latter folded against the deck. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the straps and clevises, whereby the blades are hinged;

and Fig. 5, a detail perspective view of one of the brace-chains and clevises, whereby the blades are held suspended.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in all the figures.

The object of this invention is to provide steam and sailing vessels with proper means for preventing the injurious shifting or rolling of grain or seed cargoes within their holds. A cargo of the kind named is usually shipped by being poured into the hold of the vessel till it nearly reaches the deck. During the rolling of a ship '11 a heavy sea such cargo has its surface displaced in conformity with the motion of the ship, and tons are. thus, at every oscillation of the ship, shifted from side to side, much to the injury of the vessel and cargo, and loss of speed. To avoid such injurious displacement of the cargo, I have devised a series of blades or planks, which are hinged to the under side of the deck, and extend into the grain or seed cargo, forming partitions of sufficient downward extent to prevent the surface grain between any two of said blades from entering the space between any other two of said blades. At a small expense, therefore, ships can be arranged to hold cargo of the kind described, and even liquid cargo, if such there be, steady in their holds.

In the drawing, the letter A represents the hull of a suitable ship; and B, the deck thereof, near to which the cargo is to extend. (J O O are a series of planks or blades, which are hinged to the under side of the deck B, so

they can extend. vertically into the hold, as indicated in Fig. 1. These blades may be made of metal or wood, and are, if of wood, by preference, hinged by straps a a, that embrace them, to clevises b b that are fastened to the deck-beams, in manner indicated in Fig. 4; but they may be hinged in other suitable manner. I prefer to suspend the blades parallel to each other, lengthwise, in the ship, as indicated; but they may also hang obliquely to one another, and some may be applied crosswise in the ship. Each blade is, in its suspended position, braced by two chains, cl and e,- or, if desired, fastened in such position by hooks or bolts, but the brace-chains are preferable, because, by their means, the blades may, when not used, be more easily swung flat under the (leek, in manner indicated in Fig. 3, and thus brought out of the way entirely. In the last-mentioned position the blades may also be fastened by suitable bolts or hooks. Or, when the chains d are used, and the straps to, an eye, f, in the lower end of each strap, may, by a link, g, be connected with the hookclevis k that otherwise holds the upper end of the chain cl, as will more fully appear by reference to Figs. 4 and 5. The blades may also be made readily removable from the deck, from which they are suspended into the hold.

Now, it will be observed that a ship provided with the aforementioned suspended blades will be fitted for the reception of any kind of cargo; for, if it is to be used for carrying grain and the like, the blades are let down, as in Fig. 1, into the cargo; while, if boxes, bales, or barrels constitute the cargo, the blades will be swung up, as in Fig. 3, out of the way, or entirely removed from the deck. For fiicilitating the manipulation of the blades, each length of the same may be made in two or more sections, as indicated in Fig. 2. I claim as my invention- In a vessel, the blades 0 O, suspended from the deck B into the hold, to prevent the cargo from shifting, as specified.

ROBERT QUINTAVALLE. 

